


Love is a Battlefield

by riahchan



Series: Love is a Battlefield [3]
Category: Digimon Tamers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-21
Updated: 2011-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-15 20:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/164758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riahchan/pseuds/riahchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ruki pursues what she wants and Ryo gets what he needs. Written 2002-2003.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Phase I- Preparation: A Party

Phase I- Preparation: A Party

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

Shortly after Ryo moved to Tokyo, he decided to host a party for all of the Tamers and their digimon at his new apartment. For the last six years, almost every time he came to town, one of us would hold a get-together at our house. Everyone had played host at least once but it usually fell to Jen and Shuichon or me. My mother always got very excited when it was our turn (and she would invite Juri, Shuichon, and Ai over for slumber/make-over parties... ugh! But, at least having a few willing girls to dress up would get her to lay off me for a while... stupid frilly dresses.)

Anyway, Ryo wanted to be the host for once instead of the hosted so he invited everyone over to his university apartment. His apartment and university were in a western suburb about an hour and a half away by train called Hachiouji. Takato's dad drove him, Juri, Kazu, and Kenta, along with several of the larger digimon while Jen, Shuichon, Ai, Mako, and I took the train with their partners posing as stuffed animals. We were lucky that he lived close to the station so we didn't have to walk very far.

When we finally got there, it was a fairly nondescript gray-on-gray building... other than Gaurdromon on one of the fourth floor balconies waving his arms at something inside. Taking in that sight, we made our way inside and up the stairs to apartment D-3. Even if we hadn't had the apartment number, we could have found it from the sounds coming from the inside. We knocked and stepped in, leaving our shoes with the others in the entryway.

The apartment was... small, but tastefully decorated in blues, purples, and grays. It was the size of two rooms, with the first split up into a bathroom and washing machine closet on the right and a small closet, refrigerator, and cooking area on the left. Jen led the way into the second living/bed/study room. Takato, Juri, and Guilmon were sitting on floor cushions at the low square table and Ryo was sitting at the desk under the bunk bed. He waved at us as we came in. He, along with Takato and Juri, were too busy laughing at to say anything. The objects of their amusement was quite apparent when we looked towards the entertainment center where Kenta and Kazu were arguing about what movie to watch... with Marine Angemon and Gaurdromon making faces over their heads. The paused when we came in and Kazu shouted a greeting. Kenta looked a little behind me and to my right then turned away, blushing. Marine Angemon blushed too and hid behind Kenta's head. I turned to see what he had been looking at to see Shuichon imitate Kenta while Lopmon took on a long-suffering expression. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I continued inside.

Nodding greetings to the others, I set out a dish of onigiri and a bag of chips on the table next to some already opened food. Part of the fun of these parties was the potluck. The host provided drinks and some food but it was too much to ask one person to feed ten humans and nine digimon so everyone brought something.

Noticing that Renamon was not yet in the apartment, I made my way past the entertainment center, edging past Kenta and Kazu who had resumed their argument, and out the sliding glass door to the balcony. Once outside, I called her name. As expected, she appeared on the rail of the balcony. About half of the people inside turned and looked at us as we entered the apartment.

"No matter how many times I see you do that, it still freaks me out, " commented Kazu as we passed him. "How do you two do it?"

"Like you'll ever know," I replied on behalf of both of us as I moved to sit across from Juri and Takato at the table. Renamon say kitty-corner to me, across from Guilmon. My position offered several advantages... first, it was against a wall so I wouldn't have to move for people to get around me. Next, I was able to easily talk to Juri. And, last, I could observe Ryo without having to look around unnaturally.

Taking advantage of the second and third points, I chatted with Juri and Takato while scanning over to where Ryo was sitting at the desk talking to Jen. The both kept glancing over to where Kazu and Kenta were still arguing about DVD's. Noticing movement above Ryo's head, I glanced at the bunk bed to see Monodramon peeking over the edge with Culumon sitting on his head. He motioned to Terriermon and Lopmon who were heading up there with food.

Kazu and Kenta finally came to a head in their "discussion" and turned to the nearest person, Juri, and asked what they wanted to watch. Juri's eyes lit up and she started digging in her bag. I stifled a groan. Of course she had it with her... I think she's had it with her constantly since she first bought it two years ago. Those two obviously didn't know what they were about to unleash. For the last two years, every time Juri and I watched a movie together, unless I made sure to choose something else beforehand, we would watch "The Labyrinth." Not that it wasn't a good movie... for something American and older than we were. It was dubbed fairly well, the songs were kind of catchy, and it had an interesting story... but nine times seeing it was too many. However, Juri watched it with the same enthusiasm each time. I swear, she had it memorized by now... at least the last couple of scenes. She got a special determination in her eyes reciting, "You have no power over me," along with Sarah. So, I put up with watching it.

Anyway, I resigned myself to a tenth viewing... well, if I stayed where I was, I wouldn't have to watch it, just listen. Renamon nodded to me as she got up to go outside trailed by Impmon... the crowded room was bothering her. Juri, Takato, Guilmon all moved so they could see the TV better, leaving me alone at the table. They took most of the food with them and passed it around to the others as they sat in front of the TV. I leaned against the wall, closed my eyes and listened to the movie start.

"Hey Ruki," said Ryo as he sat down in Renamon's vacated seat. I nodded in his direction and closed my eyes again.

"Seen this movie before?" Another nod.

"Too many times?" he whispered. A smirk and a nod.

"How many?" Nine fingers.

"Ahhh... the things we do for friendship."

I could hear him smiling as he said that so I opened my eyes... and experienced the mixed feelings of gladness and annoyance when I did. Glad because he looked nice smiling... this was one of his real smiles, not one of the fake ones that he sometimes wore in public. Annoyance because of the twinge of excitement in my stomach. Stupid hormones.

"So did you bring it?" he asked. My mouth quirked as I reached in my bag to retrieve 'it.' 'It' was spawned by an idea we'd had last time he'd been in town. Although neither of us still actively competed in the card game, we both still enjoyed practicing and creating strategies. Out of our last discussion, about battling at low levels, came 'it'... the Rookie Deck. It consisted of only Child level digimon and below, with no evolution beyond that. Neither of us had tried it out yet.

So we battled while the movie played, snacking and occasionally throwing out a few non-battle related comments... I learned that his much wondered about major was Computer Engineering and that he had gotten a part-time job stocking shelves at the nearby Jusco. I let out that I had gotten into the Business track at my high school. He was suitably surprised but wished me luck in it. I was not distracted by, but took note of the changes in expression on his face was he played. Each battle was a natural evolution from the one before. It was invigoration to attack and be countered by someone of roughly equal skill. (Not that we were keeping score, but I was winning five to four when the movie finally ended.) He smiled and thanked me when we were done, then went off and talked to some of the others. I felt that twinge in my stomach, cursed my hormones, and started talking to Juri again.

The party ended when Takato's dad showed up to take his group home. Ryo walked with the rest of us back to the train station smiling and chatting away. He looked happy but I could tell that he didn't want us to leave. I made a point to turn around and give him a half smile as we passed through the gate to go to the platform. He held my gaze and gave me a real smile as he waved. Stupid hormones.

TBC  
Author's Notes: This was the chapter that didn't want to get written... my Ruki-muse kept wanting to work on future chapters and giving me ideas... she's a slave driver! This is just a set-up chapter... stuff actually starts happening in the next one now that the stage has been set. Be sure to read the fics that come before, 'The Difference Between Living and Living Well' and 'If I Fall You're Going Down With Me' because they also help to set up this little future. The city I have Ryo living in is real and so it the college I have him going to (even if I didn't say the name... I found a school for him.) I actually drew out floor plans for his apartment too so I wouldn't get lost... they were based partly on apartments I lived in in Japan and mostly on my friend's college apartment there. Jusco is a real store in Japan... they are quite interesting places and my friend had a job at one during school. Please let me know what you think.


	2. Phase I- Preparation: Practice

Phase I- Preparation: Practice

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

After the party, I was more determined than ever. The more I saw him, the more I wanted to see him... and that sounds incredibly sappy... but true. grrr (I will _not_ turn into a mooning girly-girl!) Anyway, I needed to find some way to get him alone and spend some time with him without tipping my hand. No stupid dates with dinner and a movie... we both needed more action than that (get your minds out of the gutter perverts.) I finally decided on laser tag... it was fun, active, and we could work together or against each other. There was a good place that I'd gone with the guys a couple of times.

Now, I just needed an opportunity to ask him. School started the week after his party making Tamers meetings difficult until everyone adjusted to their new schools. I had the fortune, good or bad, of being in an elevator school so my schedual stayed exactly the same. That just left me more time to ponder and plan... I couldn't just call and ask him, that would be too obvious... and I couldn't just go visit him because he lived so far away. Very unsubtle. No hang-out times or get-togethers were planned for a few weeks. I began to get impatient.

However, the dilemma was solved by a phone call from the quarry himself on Thursday, the second week of school.

"Hello."

"Hey Ruki. How's it going?"

"Fine."

"That's good. How's school?"

"It's school... how's university?"

"Pretty good... just slightly more interesting than high school."

"Hmmm..."

"Listen, Ruki... do you have school on Saturday?"

"Yes."

"In the morning?"

"Yes..."

"Then tomorrow night is probably bad... hmmm... are you and Renamon busy on Saturday night?"

"Me... and Renamon?... no..."

"Do you think you could meet me and Monodramon at Shinjuku Park about 9:00 that night? Monodramon needs a really good workout and I was hoping Renamon could battle practice with him."

...

I didn't know whether to be complimented or angry. Mentally sighing, I agreed to meet him at the western entrance of the park.

Saturday night, I found myself waiting, along with Renamon, just inside the park gate. I wore dark blue cotton capris that my mother and I had compromised on during out most recent shopping trip, a white T-shirt with a blue collar, and gray athletic shoes. I carried a bag with some drinks and snacks. The air was humid and warm but not too hot. I looked at my watch again to see that they were five minutes late. When I looked up, they were jogging around the corner. Ryo was wearing his usually khaki pants and a gray shirt with the English words "Got Milk?" on it. I almost laughed to see Monodramon running... he sort of waddled and it was just... cute.

"Sorry we're late! We missed one of our trains."

"Yeah, well, don't do it again," I replied as we headed in toward the center of the park. When we got to a more secluded area, I asked, "What type of battle practice did you want to do?"

"Mostly just up close, physical fighting... brawling, chasing... that sort of thing."

"Is that okay with you Renamon?" I asked. She nodded and went to the center of the clearing.

"Good. Okay Monodramon, let's burn up a lot of energy tonight!"

"Okay Ryo!"

With that, Monodramon joined Renamon. They squared off against each other and feinted some before starting in earnest. Soon, they were brawling in the clearing, moving in and out of the trees and putting on a good show. Renamon had the advantage in speed and sized but Monodramon was pretty resilient and tricky. Ryo and I sat down against a low wall and watched in silence. After awhile, the digimon took their fight out of the clearing and over a wider area.

"So why did you want to battle practice tonight?" I asked breaking the silence after a little while.

"Monodramon had too much energy and needed to burn it off," was his reply. He was staring forward with and unfocused look in his eyes.

"What happens when he has too much energy? He wrecks the apartment?" I asked laughing a little.

Ryo cracked a smile. "Sort of." Then creasing his forehead, he continued, "If he gets too much energy, he evolves back into Cyberdramon."

"Oh." That could be awkward in Ryo's small apartment.

"He naturally evolved to perfect level before he found me here and that's where his body wants to go... but Cyberdramon is too difficult to control for long periods of time here so we try to keep him at a low energy level."

"What do you do if he does evolve?"

Ryo sighed as he replied, "We take a long training trip away from people to wear him out... last time it happened was in my final year of high school, about three months before college testing time. We were gone for over three weeks."

"Is that why you were a ronin last year?" I asked before I could stop myself.

He didn't look offended, just gave a wistful smile and said, "Yeah... it kind of interrupted my studying."

"Not as much as your first trip to the Digital World," I returned with a snarky grin. I was trying to get him to laugh and snap out of this weird mood he was in. He seemed out of it tonight. He smiled and laughed but it was not the type I had been aiming for.

"That wasn't my first trip to the Digital World."

"Huh?" I replied oh-so-articulately while raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"I was eleven the first time I went to the Digital World. I borrowed someone else's partner and digivice to free him and his friends from a bunch of evil digimon that had captured them."

The skeptical eyebrow raised higher. "How can you use someone else's partner... you wouldn't be able to card slash for them."

He got a not-quite-there look on his face as he replied, "They didn't card slash there... their digimon evolved and devolved naturally... I went again a little while later with a friend's younger brother and a different person's partner and digivice. We fought and killed the same evil digimon that had kidnaped the kids before."

"Ryo, what are you talking about?" I asked with much confusion abounding.

"Then, I went there again when I was twelve for a tournament," he continued without hearing me. "I thought it was for fun but I ended up fighting the same Digimon I killed before. We fought and I was going to win but he sent me to another time and I lost my memory... but I had to fight him anyway. That's when I got Monodramon."

"I thought you said Cyberdramon had naturally evolved?" Still confused and kind of worried too... he was just staring unfocusedly at the center of the now empty clearing.

"He did. Monodramon and I fought the evil digimon together... Monodramon wanted to be my partner because I didn't have a real one... then the digimon we were fighting said he was my partner."

It was my turn to crease my forehead as I looked at Ryo... he verging on looking upset. I had never seen him this way and I didn't understand all of what he was saying.

"Do you know," he continued, "that they fought over who was really my partner?... until Monodramon forced Zeed Millenniumon into a Jogress. They devolved into a digiegg so that then, they were both my partner."

Zeed Millenniumon, evil god digimon... a part of Monodramon... wow.

"Then I found myself here... and my parents were here too. I don't know how that happened because this is not where we are from."

"What do you mean, this isn't where you are from?"

"Zeed Millenniumon had dimensional shifting powers so I had to go to other worlds to fight him. Afterwards, I ended up here... with my parents. I don't know how they got here but we were all settled in like we had just moved to Fukkuoka. But things just felt off to me and I didn't have very much memory of what had happened. I started to feel better though, when I began playing the card game."

"That feeling I can relate to," I interjected trying to draw him out of himself.

It worked, at least a little because he relaxed a bit and gave a small, real smile before continuing.

"After we battled at that first tournament, Cyberdramon showed up and things felt right again. He'd hatched and evolved and come to find me. But he couldn't stay here and I had to be with him so we went to the Digital World. I felt even more right there and some of my memories started to come back."

"So, is the reason Cyberdramon is hard to control because of the Zeed Millenniumon part of him?" I wondered aloud.

"Yeah... when he's at child level, he's more like the original Monodramon though."

He smiled again and I looked at him hard. He looked better than before but something still wasn't right... so I decided... I had just the thing to help snap him out of this.

"You are going with me to play laser tag tomorrow."

"What?" It was his turn to look confused.

"Meet me here at noon. Don't be late... I don't like waiting."

"Why?"

"Because you owe me for tonight."

We were saved from further conversation by a crash. Monodramon had fallen from a tree in a rather undignified way. Ryo rushed over to where the little dragon was rubbing his head. I check my watch. 10:30.

"Does he need any more practice tonight?" I called over.

"What do you say buddy, need to burn any more energy?"

"No... I'm fine now."

"Then we're going home. Remember, tomorrow... noon... don't make me wait."

With that, we left.

TBC

Author's notes: A 'ronin' is technically a masterless samurai but also refers to a high school graduate that didn't pass his college entrance exam and has to wait until the next year to take it again.

This is the chapter that my Ruki-muse wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote it... she doesn't understand work schedules... but this chapter flows (at least I think it does.) Let me know what you think. Oh! And a special thanks to Kira Wagner who has kindly been my beta-reader (and who I forgot to mention last chapter.)


	3. Phase I- Preparation: Pondering

Phase I- Preparation: Pondering

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

That night, I lay in bed thinking about what had happened earlier that evening. Between what Ryo had told me and his manner while we were at the park, I was confused. Most of the things he'd said, about Cyberdramon and previously going to the Digital World, I really didn't understand. And I'd never seen him in that sort of mood before. I didn't know how to interpret it. And I didn't understand why he'd shown that part of himself to me... not that I regretted him doing it, I just didn't know what had caused it. Because of all of that and other things, I admitted to myself that I didn't know enough about him... I needed to know more. I _wanted_ to know more. Sitting up, I realized I needed someone else's input.

It was a little after midnight that I called Jen's cel-phone... he was safe to talk about this too... he wouldn't go all squeally and excited (like Juri would) and he wouldn't bring it up in front of other people. He was also probably Ryo's closest friend among the tamers. Jen had even gone to visit him in Fukkuoka (along with Shuichon... their father had a business trip down there.) Anyway, after three rings, Jen picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Ruki! What's up?"

"Not much."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah... I just wanted to talk."

"Okay... about what?"

...

This was where I stalled. I was about to ask Jen questions about another guy... and he was smart enough to have some idea of my motives. Did I really want to let it out yet? But, I knew I wouldn't be able to get the answers I needed without doing this. So, sighing in resignation, I answered.

"I have a couple of questions..."

"About?..."

Another sigh of resignation.

"Ryo." I could just hear his eyebrows raising. "Don't get any ideas! I just need some information."

"And what ideas would I get~?"

"None! Because if you did, or if you tell anyone about this, I'll have to..." (Nuts! Intimidation never works on Jen!) "... do really mean things to you!"

He laughed, I scowled, and he asked, "What do you need to know?"

I scowled again then made myself relax... this was annoying and more difficult than it seemed when I first thought of it.

"What do you think about him?"

"What do you mean? If you're worried about competition for him, don't be... I don't swing that way and I'm pretty sure he doesn't either..."

"JEN~!" He was _so_ dead the next time I saw him.

"Haha~! Just kidding. Shuichon though... she might give you a run for your money..."

He was incredibly lucky this was over the phone because I would have strangled him if he'd been in front of me.

"... but she's too busy blushing at Kenta to do anything toward anyone else."

I snorted at that... but Jen was still a punk.

"She and Kenta are both pretty obvious... what are you going to do, Mr. Over-Protective-Older-Brother, if they start dating?"

"One of them would have to make a move first... and I'd know ahead of time if either one was planning something."

Hmpf... interesting. "How?"

"A spy network acquired by my secret older brother powers."

Smirking, I said, "So you somehow convinced Hirokazu and Lopmon to rat them out?"

Laughing he replied, "Close... Terriermon convinced Lopmon."

I rolled my eyes.

"But this has nothing to do with why you called me tonight... or does it?"

My eyes widened, then I wrinkled my forehead not liking the implication there.

Silence.

"Ahem... So, what do you want to know about him?"

I hadn't really thought of what to ask before I called...

"Ummm... well, what's he like around just guys?"

"Pretty much the same... less verbal sparring than when you're around."

"You e-mail him often?"

"Pretty regularly..."

"What's he like there?"

"Same as in person... with more of a tendency to make bad puns."

I raised my eyebrows at that... but it wasn't the information I needed.

"Ruki... what do you really want to know about him?" Jen asked in an annoyingly calm and understanding voice.

Why did Jen have to know me so disturbingly well? I knew he wouldn't help (well... wouldn't be able to help) until he got at least part of the story. So, breathing out in resigned irritation, I answered.

"Tonight, I was at the park with Ryo... don't get any ideas! Renamon and Monodramon were practicing! But I was talking to him and he told me some things that I didn't understand. And he was different tonight... but I've only seen him hanging out with us. You know him better than I do. I wanted to know what he was like in other places."

"Well... he's pretty much the same everywhere I talk to him, and that's the same way he acts when he hangs out with us. But..."

There was a 'but' here.

"When we were visiting him in Fukkuoka, he seemed a little... not different but..."

"What?"

"His personality wasn't any different from normal but he didn't seem very... connected there."

Confused again. "What do you mean?"

"Like... he didn't mention anyone or anything from school unless we asked him about it... that's understandable during summer vacation but then when we were at a mall shopping for souvenirs with Shuichon, a group of students from his school came up to him. They seemed pretty nice and some of them were in his class. They asked him about his summer homework and if he was planning to join any of the sports clubs since he hadn't joined one yet... he answered them but was doing that 'smiling, but not _really_ smiling' thing he does."

Hmmm... Jen's noticed him do that too...

"When they noticed us, he introduced us as his friends from Tokyo but them as his classmates from school. Before they left, they invited him to the beach with them the next weekend but he just did the smiling thing and gave a noncommital answer. Then, when they were gone, he turned back to us, acted like nothing had happened, and suggested another store to shop in."

"Other than that, what did you think of him in Fukkuoka?"

"I think... he was a little bit lonely. He seemed well liked in school but I don't think he had any close friends there. He didn't seem down or anything... just not really connected to anyone there."

"Hmmm..." Jen had given me a lot to think about, along with earlier tonight's things.

"Did that help you understand anything he said earlier?"

"Maybe... I'm not sure yet."

Silence.

"So... do you like Ryo?"

Gah~! That brought me out of my thoughts quickly. I never thought anyone would ask me so bluntly.

"Wh~what!" I sputtered.

"Just wanted to know."

He seemed so calm about it... the punk. Denying it would have been lying to Jen and I didn't want to do that but... I wasn't ready to say it either.

"I... I don't _dislike_ him..."

"Haha~... good answer. But that's good to know. Now, if you're done interrogating me, I need some sleep."

We said 'goodnight' and hung up the phone. I got back into my futon and was full of thoughts about a boy I didn't understand, but I was too tired to think about them. Besides, I had to face the real thing in the morning.

TBC

Author's Notes: June 23, 2002- Finally, after a week of carrying around my notebook to plug away at it when I had time, this chapter is finished! I'd had it all planned out and all of the major conversation points set out but couldn't get Ruki and Jen to actually talk about them. But they finally got the urge... and now it's done! Yay! Thanks to Kira Wagner for beta reading. See you at laser tag and please R&R!


	4. Phase II- Evolution: Event

Phase II- Evolution: Event

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

Sunday morning found me hurrying to the park to make sure I was on time… it would not have looked good for me to be late after I'd made such a big deal about it to him. There had been a small earthquake, barely noticeable, unless you happened to be drinking grape juice at the time… then it's 'goodbye' to the light blue t-shirt you were wearing. Cleaning up the mess and changing clothes (same jeans with a dark gray, high collared t-shirt) had taken up just enough time that I had to run.

When I got to the park at 11:59, Ryo was sitting on a bench just inside the entrance. He pointedly looked at his watch and then me as I approached. I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to come over.

"Hey Ruki! Long time, no see," he said with a smile.

Dork.

Today, it seemed that he'd opted for a less baggy version of his normal khaki's and a dark blue shirt with a square happy face on it.

"You're wearing your hair up!" he added when he reached me.

I involuntarily reached up to touch my hair… it had been a while since I'd had it up like this. The spiky ponytail that had been a defining part of my image when I was younger had slowly given way to wearing my hair down as I'd gotten older. Clearing my throat in slight embarrassment and heading down the street, I responded, "Yeah... well, it would get in the way down."

We walked toward the train station for a few minutes in silence. As we approached it, Ryo asked, "Is anyone else coming today?"

"No," I answered descending the stairs.

"So it's just you and me against the world!"

I could feel him grinning as I rolled my eyes in response. We bought our tickets and found our way to the correct train. When we got on, it was just crowded enough that there were no open seats so we chose a spot to stand near the door. He faced me as we held on to the same pole.

"So why isn't anyone else coming?"

...

Was he totally clueless? A girl asks you to go and do something with her... what do you think the purpose of that is? I fed my annoyance at his question into an irate-sounding assessment of the other tamers' skills in laser tag.

"The others... aren't the best players. I mean, they're fun but not really suited to it. Takato lacks strategy and isn't the best shot... Jen is pretty good but not aggressive. Shuichon is good too but lacks any kind of stealth. Juri's a surprisingly good shot... when you can get her to shoot at people which she usually won't. Hirokazu and Kenta are both... enthusiastic... but usually get tagged very often. I'm just trying you out today to see if you're any good."

He laughed at that and his eyes did this stupid twinkling thing that did _not_ distract me at all...

"I hope I live up to your expectations."

Hmph... He better.

After several stops, we got off the train. He climbed the stairs ahead of me to get out of the station... allowing for a better view of this style of pants. After a closer study, I decided I preferred these to the looser kind.

We made out way to a large, multi-storied arcade complex located on the lower floors and basement of a high rise building. The arcade was part of a mostly-underground mall that connected several buildings on the block. The first two floors of the arcade contained various video games, UFO catcher machines and a few little trinket shops. We headed for the third floor where laser tag was located.

"Have you ever played before?" I asked as we went up the escalator.

"Nope... never had the chance. Any advise, oh wise one?"

Dork.

"Other than to avoid being shot? Not really."

We got in line and bought passes for three games. There were a pretty good number of people there but not a huge crowd like there sometimes was on the weekends. After getting our equipment, we headed into a waiting/locker room to put it on. I fastened my vest and checked my gun to make sure the trigger didn't stick.

"Do you think that this vest makes me look fat?" came Ryo's voice from behind me. I turned to see him twisting in order to see himself from different angles in front of a mirror. Then he looked at me with a mischievous smile.

Cheesy. Again, I say, 'Dork.'

I communicated my opinion with another roll of my eyes and went back to checking my equipment.

"So how do you play this?" he asked sitting down on a bench. A game had just started a few minutes before so we had a little less than half an hour to wait. I leaned against the rental lockers across from him.

"The attendant will probably explain it before we go in but... well, you go around and shoot people with your laser and try not to get shot in return. The vest and gun keep score while you play. The next game is pairs so our scores will be totaled together. I think the winners get points toward prizes or something."

"What happens when you get shot?"

"You're 'down' and your gun doesn't work for a little while... they'll tell us how long before we go in... it's usually around fifteen seconds."

"Does it matter where you hit them?"

"Not really. You aim for the white circles on the vest for it to connect."

"So, don't fire until you see the whites of their vests?"

I stared at him again. He was just smiling innocently. What was it with the lame jokes today?

Anyway, skip to the game... there ended up being around thirty people playing our first round. The attendants had us, along with about half of the other people, enter into the upper level. As we were let in, I pulled Ryo behind a jutting wall to avoid either of us getting shot right off. I stuck my head around the corner and tagged a few people as they made their way into the maze of walls, ramps, and mirrors. Ryo peeked around behind me and got one of the people I missed.

"What do we do now?" he whispered closed to my ear.

Goose bumps rose on my arms when I felt his breath against the side of my face. Focusing past that, I grinned and responded, "We sneak."

And sneak we did. It was incredibly invigorating to work with a partner in the game that didn't need to be told what to do constantly while we were hunting and that I didn't constantly have to worry about being shot. He stuck close to me and provided support for the first little bit but quickly caught on and got more into the groove of the game. Ryo became more aggressive in attacking and offered several good strategies for pursuing the other players... and was suitably impressed when I bounce a laser off of a mirror to make a shot. He did get shot more than I did and didn't get as many hits but it was an impressive showing for a first-timer.

We ended up placing third in the round. I recognized the winning pair... they were here almost every time I came. Kazu referred to them as the 'Laser Tag Ninjas.'

There was a short break between our first session and the second so we sat in the waiting room for a few minutes before lining up.

"So how'd I do?" asked Ryo as he sat down to my right on the bench. I was leaning against the wall with my eyes closed. I opened my right eye and glanced at him.

"You were... acceptable," I responded evenly.

"Ahhh... high praise from the Queen herself." I raised an eyebrow at that. Then he continued, smiling, "So what's next?"

"Individual round... no teams."

He raised an eyebrow at that.

"So does that mean I get to hunt you?"

What was with that smug look?

"Only if I don't get you first." I didn't look smug... I looked... confident.

The attendant came in then and announced the next round Ryo and I headed for opposite entrances to go in from. Looking back before he was out of sight, Ryo called out, "Maybe I'll let you catch me."

Hmph... 'Let' huh? Sounds like a challenge.

There was no 'let' in this round... I'll admit I was pretty ruthless. Most of the time, he didn't even see me coming. The funniest times were when I would get him from around a corner by bouncing the laser off of a mirror. Ryo didn't make it easy for me though... he can be pretty stealthy when he wants to be. And I have to admit that he did tag me... a few times... but I got him more. It was... a stimulating hunt.

Afterwards, we sat in the waiting room again.

"So did you 'let' yourself get caught?" I asked, not quite succeeding in stifling the gloating tone that had crept into my voice.

"Aww, Ruki," he said with an innocent smile, "if you wanted me that bad, you should have just told me."

Heat to face.

No response generated.

Silence.

Dork.

After the silence dragged on a little too long (and he turned pinkish too), Ryo cleared his throat and asked, "So is the next game teams or individuals?"

Grateful for a new subject, I responded, "Pairs again, I think."

He smiled that stupid, completely-not-distracting smile again and commented, "So I guess you're stuck with me."

Ahem... have I mentioned that he's a dork recently?

On that note, the attendant called for the next round. This time, we entered onto the lower level.

Our last round began similarly to the first one but we picked up the pace quickly. Ryo was more comfortable and much more aggressive than he'd been in the first round. We barely needed to speak or even gesture to communicate our intentions and strategies. The round was over much too quickly and I was jazzed from it... I couldn't help smiling. I guess I looked a little crazed because when Ryo saw it, his first comment was, "Oi! Stop that... you're scaring me."

Stupid sparkling eyes stopping me from getting properly annoyed.

After a few minutes, the rankings were posted. We came in second, right after the 'Laser Tag Ninjas.'

This partnership might just work out after all.

TBC

Author's Notes: July 25, 2002, 4:20 a.m. - FINALLY! After almost a month, this chapter is _done_! I could cry. I don't think this chapter is very good... there are some parts I like but overall, it's currently my least favorite chapter. But it's _done_. The rest of the chapters are already in rough drafts so they should follow soon.

July 26, 2002, 12:35 a.m.- Upon editing and typing... this turned out longer than I thought it would... not too bad for the hump chapter. It's all downhill from here. One note... I've never actually played laser tag... I just picked a couple of my friend's brains that had. (Thanks Mike! Not that you'll ever read this but...) Thanks to kimaru_k for kindly bugging me to finish this chapter... and commenting when I gave her a sneak peek... a little encouragement goes a long way.


	5. Phase II- Evolution: Evaluate

Phase II- Evolution: Evaluate

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

So... after we turned in our equipment, we were both kind of hungry so we headed into the mall in search of edible food (the arcade had a snack bar but... bleagh.) After a few minutes of walking, we found the row of food shops. It had all of the standard offerings... McDonalds, Mr. Donuts, a bread shop, an ice cream shop, and various others... but nothing seemed to jump out right away. Then, Ryo pointed toward a little shop near the end of the row that sold... crepes?

"Have you ever had a crepe, Ruki?" he asked kind of excitedly.

I shook my head.

"They're great! Back in Fukkuoka, there was this little shop on my way home from school that I used to go to all the time. They're not too sweet and you can get all sorts of fillings but the best are..."

He continued to expound on the greatness of crepes for a few minutes as he ordered a couple and we watched them get made. Soon, I found myself with one of the strange, almost conical concoctions in my hand. It was shaped almost like a flat waffle cone... except instead of ice cream, it was filled with a strawberry and cream substance along with various pieces of fruit... and sprinkles on top. I studied this fruity mass in my hand and looked back up at Ryo... who was almost half way done with his and obviously enjoying it. Shrugging, I bit into mine. It was good... I'd have to try it again. Hmmm... would Ryo want to come back here sometime?

Finishing our crepes, we bought drinks for a vending machine and headed back to the arcade. There, we spent the next hour and a half trying out assorted games. We alternated at beating each other in several fighting games... he thoroughly trounced me in car racing ("I can't help it if I've already been through driving school." Whatever...) But, I destroyed him in the two person shooter game, reaffirming my dominance in that area. We were about to leave when I spotted the print club room. Stopping, I motioned toward it.

"Want to do some of those?" I asked.

His eyes showed his surprise at the suggestion but he smiled and nodded. "What better way to prove you actually spent an afternoon with me with out killing me," he commented as we went in.

Dork.

We spent over half an hour choosing backgrounds, posing, and writing until we were about to leave with four sets of pictures.

The first set was a collage of several shots of me ignoring him while he tried different ways of getting my attention... I either had my face turned away or my eyes closed in all of them. We got those done in a medium size with sixteen on the sheet.

The next was a special effects one with a black, starry background that had us shooting lasers at each other. On that one we wrote, 'Tag, you're it!' at the bottom. It was printed small with twenty-four on the sheet.

After that, we got a full-body shot of us standing back-to-back with blue flames coming up around the sides. 'I am cold burning' was printed in English at the bottom. This one looked pretty cool so we had it printed a little bigger with eight on the sheet.

The fourth came from a 100 yen machine and had twenty stickers on the page. We chose an underwater scene with waves for a border and fish swimming in the center. I have no idea what possessed me, but I agreed to make my best 'fish face' for one of the shots... I was under the impression that we would choose a different picture to be printed, but Ryo hit the print button before I could stop him. When I tried to grab the pictures when they came out (in order to take them home and burn them), he grabbed them first.

Big dork.

Mildly annoyed that I had been unable to get to them first and having quenched my desire for any more pictures, we were heading out when Ryo grabbed my arm. Turning around and ready to give him a dirty look, I saw what he was pointing at. Seeing it, I agreed to do one last picture. We got in the machine, paid, chose, posed, and waited for the printout. A few slightly nervous minutes later, we were rewarded with a sheet containing two large pictures of us standing in front of a purple, blue, and silver curtained background with crowns on our heads and holding scepters. The writing at the bottom said 'King & Queen.'

This one wasn't for trading.

Finishing that, we finally made it back out into the sunlight. Seeing how low the sun was in the sky, I checked my watch.

"Aw nuts! I told my mom I'd be home by 4:30!"

I started digging in my bag for my cel-phone.

"Come on," said Ryo as he loosely took my wrist and started leading me towards the subway station. When I began to protest, he looked apologetic and continued, "If you call her from the subway, you can say you're almost home."

I rolled my eyes and hurried so I would be walking next to him. When I caught up, he let go of my wrist... with some regret on my part. It'd felt sort of nice to almost hold hands with him.

Looking over at me, he appeared a little bashful and apologized saying, "Sorry about that... but I don't want to get your mother angry by making you even more late."

We hurried to the station, down to the train, and had the incredible fortune of getting in a car just as a couple got out of their seats. So, we sat down, and, as I called my mother, he pulled out the scissor attachment on his pocket knife and began dividing up the pictures. He took special care with the 'King & Queen' one, making sure the cut was very straight.

After hanging up with my mother, I gathered the ones he'd finished and began dividing them up. I almost got his half of the fish one but he snatched it back and slid it into his back pocket. Then, he looked at me and smirked, as if daring me to go after it. I rolled my eyes and glared at him... which only made him smile more.

Really big dork.

When we reached the station we originally started from, I walked him up to the train entrance gate. As we reached it, he turned to me and gave a real smile.

"Today was a lot of fun... I never knew running around shooting people could be so entertaining."

"Yeah, well... you're approved to be my partner next time."

He smiled again and turned to go through the gate. As he turned, I noticed the fish pictures mocking me from his back pocket. Not waiting to think about it, I reached out and quickly grabbed them as he stepped through the turnstile. He must have felt it... because he whipped around with his mouth wide open and a blush spreading across his face.

"Got them," I said holding the stickers between my index and middle fingers and fighting a blush of my own.

He continued gapping at me for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.

"See you later, Ruki," he chuckled as he headed for the platform.

I didn't hurry when walking home... rather, I was thinking hard. Today _had_ been a lot of fun. We hadn't had any deep conversations, and I wasn't any closer to understanding the things he'd told me last night... but we'd worked really well together today. And... he looked really good.

There's those stupid hormones again.

And, in retrospect... I can't believe I grabbed those pictures out of his pocket! I can only plead temporary insanity... first I let them be taken and then I do that... at least now I could get rid of them. Though, looking at them again, Ryo looked sort of... cute. Oh well... I can always burn them later.

All in all, it had been a good day. Now, I just need to plan my next move. It would only be fair to give him a chance to respond to my signals. I decided that he had one week to react... and then I was taking over again.

When I got home, I went to my room to find Renamon leaning against the wall by the outside door.

"How was your... outing?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You should know already... after all, you followed us."

Someday, I'm going to have to tell her that smirking doesn't become her.

TBC

Author's Notes: July 27, 2002- I finally got to type and edit this chapter... it's been written in my notebook for over three weeks. August 1, 2002- Some Japanese cultural notes... Most people in Japan go to a driving school to get their license (I think it's a required but I'm not sure.) Print club picture (or Purikura... short for Purinto Kurabu) is extremely common and extremely popular in Japan. Teenagers and kids trade them with their friends and usually have a special section of their day-planner (or something similar) for them. I knew two sixteen-year-old girls who became friends and one of the first things they did was exchange purikura. It is also very common for couples to get them taken together. There are an incredible variety of styles and background you can get and I tried to give a good sample... most of the ones Ryo and Ruki took are based on ones I have or have seen... very fun stuff. The crepe shop is based off of the one next to the arcade I used to get Purikura taken in... I miss crepes... and Mr. Donuts. Yum! Thank you to Kira Wagner for pre-reading this for me.


	6. Phase III- Battle: Breathing

Phase III- Battle: Breathing

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

So I didn't hear from him for two weeks. Jerk.

Like I decided, I'd waited a week to give him a chance to respond... nothing.

No calls. No e-mails. And no one else had heard from him either since the Tuesday following our... outing. (I didn't ask. Jen told me later.)

On Monday of the second week, I decided to call him. Not only was I annoyed at him for being dense, but I was also vaguely worried. The only thing that stopped me from calling him was the fact that I'd misplaced his phone number. Grrr...

It took until Wednesday for me to swallow my pride enough to ask Jen for it. (That's when he told me that he hadn't been able to get a hold of Ryo either.) That increased my worriedness from 'vaguely' to 'kind of.'

So, I called... and there was no answer. Nor was there one either of the times I called on Thursday... or the three times I called on Friday. He hadn't responded to any on the e-mails I'd sent him in the last week either.

I called Jen again Friday night. He checked around with the others and found out that nobody else had heard from him either. Jen seemed a bit worried too.

I spent that night and Saturday morning alternating between worry (I could just feel that something was not right) and extreme annoyance. (You would think that if he was going to ignore his friends' phone calls, he would at least have an answering machine.)

By Saturday afternoon, I'd had enough of waiting... so, I decided to go see him. I headed out with the fish pictures in my bag... in case I got to his apartment and everything was fine. Though, in that case, I would probably be too angry to give them to him... but at least it afforded me an excuse for going (it was lame but better than nothing.)

As I got on the train, I knew Renamon was following me... even though I couldn't see her. It comforted me to know that she was there as I was going into this unknown situation.

The train ride gave me a very long and nervous hour and a half to ponder the situation. A good portion of that time was spent staring at that stupid picture. I couldn't think of anything I'd done to make Ryo ignore me for two weeks... and even if I had, he wouldn't ignore everyone else. He could have gotten really busy with school and work... but he still would have found time to answer the phone or respond to _someone's_ email. Ideas of what could be going on ran through my head along with ideas of how I could react.

...

The entire situation was driving me nuts! I'd been obsessing about this all week... I'd never asked to be attracted to anyone so why was it that when I tried to pursue the one I was attracted to, nothing went the way I wanted it to? Was it worth all of this trouble?

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I recalled how I felt when I was with him... nervous but happier, stronger, more energized. Being around him both excited and calmed me. He matched and challenged me every time we met and it made me feel alive. I felt good. And I wanted... really wanted... more of that. Glaring at the pictures in my hand, I realized that I wanted to not need an excuse to call or visit him.

And I wanted him to feel the same way because it was really annoying to think that he could affect me like but for me not to have the same influence in return. This was not something I wanted to be alone in.

So, I guess it's worth it.

The train finally pulled into the right station and I began the final leg of my journey. I walked quickly... I just felt like I needed to be there _now_. Practically running to his building, I sprinted up the stairs.

Catching my breath and about to knock on his door, it opened before I got the chance. Ryo was standing in the doorway poised to go out. He was dressed in a very beat up pair of those khaki pants he always wore, a long-sleeved, dark gray shirt with a red bandana around his neck, and carried a large hiking backpack. I stared at him and he looked very surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here Ruki?" he asked nervously.

"Visiting you," I responded in an even tone.

"Oh... I was just on my way out."

I looked him up and down again and replied, "I can see that."

Seeing that I was not planning on moving out of his way, Ryo sighed and motioned for me to come in.

"What do you think you are doing?" I asked as soon as he closed the door.

"I'm going on a trip with Cyberdramon," he responded flatly. I'd never seen his face so closed.

"He evolved again? I thought that was why you had Monodramon battle practice with Renamon."

"It was... and that postponed it but he still had too much pent up energy."

"Were you planning on telling any of us about this little trip? It's not like we haven't been trying to get a hold of you."

He looked down and wouldn't meet my eyes. "I hadn't thought about it."

"So... you were just going to disappear and go off training."

"That's what I've always done before."

"Did it occur to you that you didn't have to? That maybe one of us could have helped?" I was starting to get angry and my voice was starting to rise.

"I did ask for help... and Renamon helped postpone it but he still evolved... so I was doing what has always worked before." His face wasn't as closed now and a little bit of desperation had crept into his voice.

"... You know, I've gotten mad at you many times since we first met but I don't think I've ever been this annoyed. Don't you think that any of us would be willing to help you? We could evolve our digimon to Perfect level and tire him out more quickly. What were you expecting to do... leave your classes, your job, and everything for a few weeks while you go who knows where? I'm not an expert on friendship but I _know_ it includes helping _and_ asking for help." I'd all but shouted my last point at him and I was breathing hard.

Ryo sighed, leaned against the counter next to the refrigerator, and stared down toward some indistinct spot on the floor. I could tell that I'd struck some sensitive points with my tirade.

"I didn't want to bother any of you," he said in a soft, sad voice. "And I didn't want any of your digimon getting hurt. Cyberdramon is my partner and I need him... and being his partner includes dealing with his difficult parts along with his good parts. Half the time, when he fights an opponent of equal strength, he goes berserk and won't stop fighting until his opponent is deleted. When he gets like that, sometimes even I can't stop him. I didn't want to risk anyone else's partner."

I stepped closer to him and touched his arm so he would look at me. It was then, when he looked at me, that I finally got to see a part of Ryo that he never showed to other people... his imperfections. Even he, the Legendary Tamer, had things that he was afraid of, things he couldn't handle alone, and when faced with them, he didn't always make the best choices. Trying to put a little understanding in my voice, I spoke again.

"Then we send him against an Ultimate or something... Impmon's been spoiling for a fight for months... or we can have MarineAngemon go 'Pu pu' at him. Whatever it takes. Don't be so resigned to dropping your life and nobly sacrificing everything you've worked for when you don't have to."

Ryo sighed again, looked away, and continued in the soft, sad tone.

"But it's the only thing I know how to do Ruki. I don't have many memories from before I first went to the Digital World... but after I went there, that's what I had to do. All of this 'normal' stuff... going to school, working, socializing with people and all of that... it still just mystifies and confuses me. I'm not sure if I can keep it up. The only important things I've ever accomplished involve digimon and fighting... I don't know how to succeed at normal things. Heck, I don't even know why I'm in this world... I was sent here, but for how long? Am I going to be pulled out when this world decides it's done with me? Am I going to have to leave because the Milleniumon half of my partner gains too much control and I can't contain him around people anymore? How long do I get to stay?"

He stopped and looked back up at me with soulful, searching eyes as if hoping I had the answers.

Which I didn't. I was speechless. How do you respond to questions like that? Answering required sensitivity and reassurance... neither one my specialty. I took a deep breath. The truth would have to do.

"Ryo... you've already accomplished 'normal' things... you graduated high school, got into university, and are doing well in your classes. And you will keep doing well... I've never seen you back down from a fight before and you won't now. It may have taken you longer to get here than you wanted but you had extenuating circumstances. And it doesn't matter where you came from... you're here now. We needed you when we fought D-Reaper... alone, Jen and I probably couldn't have held off Shinigami Reaper until the Sovereigns came... and we need you now because you are our friend... and if you let us, we'll help you with Cyberdramon... whatever problems there are, we'll help you fix them. This world isn't going to decide it's done with you because _I'm_ not going to be done with you... because you're my friend." Another deep breath. "And because... I like you. It took me awhile to admit it but, I like you."

I could feel the heat in my face but I held his gaze.

"Like me? As in, just a friend or...?"

My face turned even redder but at least his face was starting to match. Still looking him in the eye, I responded more strongly. "I. Like. You. I'm not saying it again."

A look of shock spread over his face and I watched him intently for further reaction. The tortuous wait seemed to last for hours. My heart beat faster and it was hard to control my breathing. Painfully slowly, his eyes widened and the corners of his mouth began to lift.

"Good."

...

That's all he had to say!

"Good!"

Then he looked into my eyes very intently and smiled that stupid, perfect eyes, perfect teeth, light up his entire stupid face, and give me butterflies in the stomach smile of his.

"Yeah... because it's lonely sometimes to be the only one doing something."

I continued to glare at him and he continued to smile.

Dork.

But, I couldn't keep my annoyance up for long because his moment of... whatever... was gone and he was happy again. So I rolled my eyes and put on a disgruntled face.

"Whatever."

He smiled even wider and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me over next to him. I stared at the arm.

"I didn't say you could hug me."

The arm dropped but his smile didn't.

"If I can't hug you, can I hold your hand?"

I raised my eyebrow. "No."

"Please?"

Letting myself grin a little, I replied. "...Only if no one else is around."

His hand quickly found mine and soon our fingers were intertwined.

"And do I get to call you 'Honey' now?" he asked, looking all smirky. I rolled my eyes again.

"No."

"Sweetie?"

"No."

"Pumpkin?"

Hmmm... "No."

"Supreme goddess and queen of my world?"

Dork. But... "Maybe."

"And what are you going to call me?"

"I can think of some names..."

Hmph... Things would be good.

Hajimari.

'We are young, heartache to heartache we stand

No promises no demands, love is a battlefield

We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong

Searchin' our hearts for so long, both of us knowing

Love is a battlefield'

Author's Notes: July 9, 2002- This chapter is finally typed up! Yay! I wrote this one in three sections... backwards. (So it was the last section of the conversation, the first part of the conversation, and leading up to the conversation.) This chapter is completely done and I haven't finished chapter four yet... ~_~;; I really like this chapter a lot. Ruki is fun to write. And so is Ryo... I didn't know he had so many issues when I started writing this! Poor boy... Ruki will do you some good. They both great. Now on to the epilogue.


	7. Epilogue- Points: Practicality

Epilogue- Points: Practicality

Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters are not mine. The title comes from the song sung by Pat Benatar, written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight so it doesn't belong to me either. No money, don't sue.

So that night we went back to Tokyo and met up with Jen, Shuichon, and Kenta (along with their digimon) in the park. It took until almost 1:00 a.m. for Cyberdramon to devolve... Rapidmon, Taomon, and Antylamon took turns battling with him and whenever he got too aggressive, MarineAngemon was there to calm him down. But, after much work, the result was a very groggy Monodramon who Ryo had to carry home.

During the time at the park, we mostly stood or sat around and chatted... occasionally yelling encouragements to the fighting digimon (mostly for them not to cause too much property damage.) I pointedly ignored the smug, knowing looks Jen started giving me as soon as Ryo and I showed up together.

Punk.

He got his just dessert though when a very... interesting... thing happened. Rapidmon had taken the first turn battling Cyberdramon... then came Taomon. Then Taomon started to get tired, it was Antylamon's turn. As Antylamon began to battle, Shuichon ran up to stand by Kenta and MarineAngemon. (They were standing close to the fight in case they were needed suddenly.) As she got close to him, she tripped. At the same time, Kenta had been turning, about to say something to her. Falling, she grabbed onto him and he reached out to catch her... resulting in a very tight embrace.

The look on Jen's face was hilarious! Terriermon had to work quickly to calm him down.

Shuichon and Kenta turned so red that you could see it in the dark. They straightened up after the shock wore off and apologized, but didn't separate very far.

After that, I quit watching them... mostly because it was really hard not to laugh (especially with Jen muttering annoyed older-brother things to himself and shooting them grouchy looks.)

I walked over to Ryo, who had taken a seat against the same low wall that we sat at two weeks ago. He was watching the battle intently and didn't notice when I came up to him so I nudged his leg with my foot. Startled, he looked over and smiled, moving over to make room for me. I sat down, not leaning against him but not leaning away from him either.

He started talking but I just let his voice flow around me, not really hearing what he was saying, just nodding and making noises of vague agreement when necessary. I settled against the wall, found his hand, and took it in mine. It was larger and warmer than mine, dry, and had a few calluses. His grip was firm but gentle... it felt good.

I could get used to this.

The Beginning

"My days are brighter  
My sky a deeper blue  
My nights are sweeter  
When I'm with you

There's a difference in  
Living and living well  
You can't have it all  
All by yourself  
Something's always missing  
'Til you share it with someone else  
There's a difference in living and living well"

"We're hanging right on the edge now baby  
The wind is getting stronger  
We're hanging on by a thread now honey  
We can't hold on much longer  
It's a long way down but it's too late

If I fall you're going down with me  
You're going down with me baby if I fall  
You can't take back every little chill you give me  
You're going down with me baby heart and all ooh yeah

Ooh baby I couldn't get any higher  
This time I'm willing to dance on the wire  
If I fall...If I fall"

Author's Notes- Bet you all thought I forgot about Shuichon and Kenta! Ha-ha! How could I forget them? Hope you liked that little insertion. ^_^ I wonder if anyone noticed that I structured the story like a round in the Digimon card game... (I'm so sneaky! ^_~) Not sure when I'll write anymore stories in this little timeline... it depends on when my muses demand it. Thank you for reading this far... please let me know what you thought of the whole thing. Oh! The song 'Living And Living Well' belongs to George Strait and all sorts of record type people. 'If I Fall You're Going Down With Me' belongs to the Dixie Chicks and their record type people. And, don't for get to read the omake!


	8. Omake- Extra: As Long As...

Omake- Extra: As Long As...

***

Here's an extra little alternate scene from chapter six that I got in my head driving home from work one night... enjoy!

***

He stopped and looked back up at me with soulful, searching eyes as if hoping I had the answers.

Which I didn't. I was speechless. How do you respond to questions like that?

Answering required sensitivity and reassurance... neither one my specialty. I took a deep breath... and music began to play in the background. I felt myself moving against my will to stand opposite Ryo. With a confused look on my face, I began to sing.

"Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine

I'm leaving my life in your hands

People say I'm crazy and that I am blind

Risking it all in a glance

Ryo's jaw dropped in shock at these events and his eyes were glued on me as I (unwillingly) began to gesture along with the words.

"And how you got me blind is still a mystery

I can't get you out of my head

Don't care what is written in your history

As long as you're here with me

As I began the chorus, I heard two voices joining in with mine.

"I don't care who you are

Where you're from

What you did

As long as you love me

Glancing back as my body started dancing to the music, I saw that Juri and Shuichon had joined me. They were dressed like idols, Juri wearing a short yellow dress with one wide strap, green leggings and opera gloves, and yellow knee-high boots and Shuichon in a short, sleeveless purple dress, light pink leggings and opera gloves, and purple, heeled Mary Jane's. Seeing their outfits, I looked down at myself and was (relatively) relieved to see that I wasn't in a dress. However, I was dressed in a sparkly, high-necked, long-sleeved navy shirt, silver vinyl pants, and navy platform tennis shoes... not much of an improvement.

"Who you are

Where you're from

Don't care what you did

As long as you love me

Finishing out the chorus, I hoped that maybe this little number would stop but that hope was dashed when I started into the second verse.

"Every little thing that you have said and done

Feels like it's deep within me (ooohh...)

This verse had more dance steps than the last. Juri and Shuichon continued providing back-up vocals and dancing.

"Doesn't really matter if you're on the run

It seems like we're meant to be

Ryo had progressed past shock and into amusement.

"I don't care who you are

Where you're from

What you did

As long as you love me

Back to the stupid steps that went with the chorus...

"Who you are

Where you're from

Don't care what you did

As long as you love me

Please let me stop...

"Yeah~eh~eh...

As long as you love me

I was really trying to break free of whatever was making me do this but was unsuccessful. By the looks of them, Juri and Shuichon were having the time of their lives.

"I've tried to hide it so that no one knows

But I guess it shows

When you look into my eyes

With that line, I caught Ryo's eye... he stared back with intensity in his blue eyes.

"What you did and where you're coming from

I don't care

As long as you love me baby

Ryo began to approach where we were dancing and I was finally able to stop dancing. Juri and Shuichon continued to sing the chorus and dance behind me. As he came nearer, he reached out and opened his mouth to say...

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Slapping my alarm clock, I sat up quickly and rubbed my face.

_Thank goodness_ that wasn't real.

Then I chuckled. No more American pop before bed... I don't care how much Kimiko says it improves your English.

Humming, I got out of bed.

"Who you are, where you're from, what you did, I don't care, as long as you love me..."

Owari.

***

Author's Notes: Well, that was a little visit to my fanfiction roots... most of my pre-Digimon stories are songfics. This was a lot of fun to write... just a little bit of Ruki-torture. ^_^ This officially ends 'Love Is A Battlefield'. It was a lot of fun to write and I hope to visit this timeline again in the near future. Hope you enjoyed the ride! I've just added this into the regular storyline because it's always bothered me about not being there. I saved the reviews so if you reveiwed, don't worry. This is almost a year after writing this and so much has changed but I still love this story... it was my baby that kept me up nights wanting to get out. Thank you for reading and please review.


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